Army One

[SASless]

Interestiing video discussing the time period the US Army had the Presidential Helicopter Flight Mission.

The image of a US Army CW4 eating his cigarette upon being told to do so by Mamie Eisenhower is particularly funny....especially when the subject was brought up by Ike a few days later.



The Story of Army One - YouTube

[Savoia]

Most enjoyable. :ok:

[Carbon Bootprint]

Great video. Can anyone enlighten me as to the purpose of the shrouds (or whatever they are) around the MLG on Truman's bird?

[Savoia]

CB: If you check this (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/419023-rotary-nostalgia-thread-69.html#post7070048) post you'll see what they become when you hit the switch that activates them! ;)

[Um... lifting...]

Attended a small gathering of various & sundry helicopter pilots in the late summer. A clutch of them were retired Army fellows of the vintage and background to have been around Army 1 in the '70s.

It is a fine thing listening to fellows full of interesting lore, to include how the exact shade of green on the current presidential helicopters came to be, and why exactly Army 1 is no longer a regularly operating concern but Marine 1 is.

The thing about listening when compared to speaking is that one's beer sipping can continue unimpeded.

[Carbon Bootprint]

CB: If you check this (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/419023-rotary-nostalgia-thread-69.html#post7070048) post you'll see what they become when you hit the switch that activates them! http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gifThanks, Savoia. It occurred to me they might be some type of floats, but I don't recall seeing kit of that sort before. Every day is school day!

[Savoia]

CB: The wheel-mounted 'circlet-style' pop-out floats were not 'a dime a dozen' Stateside but they were in evidence here and there.

In the UK the type were fitted (as per my previous link) to a number of Royal Navy Whirlwind as well as the two RAF Queen's Flight Whirlwind (though they were not fitted at all times).

The Westland Wessex (the British version of the H-34 or, if you prefer, the S58) did not maintain the circlet-style pop-outs as Westlands managed to 'stuff' them into the Wessex wheel 'hubcaps'.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gwOdVNQ-cJA/UotiZnP2CyI/AAAAAAAAPcg/jQazq-UZAXs/w748-h584-no/VH-34D_at_the_White_House_1961+%2528JFK+Library%2529.jpg
United States Marine Corps Sikorsky VH-34D presidential helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House (fitted with emergency pop-out floats) en-route to arrival ceremonies for Fulbert Youlou (President of the Republic of Congo) at the Military Air Transport Service Terminal, Washington National Airport, Washington, DC, on 8th June 1961 (Photo: The John F. Kennedy Memorial Library)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-a7p2eYr9AQw/UotiWlQbhbI/AAAAAAAAPcM/Ol01DOFGnm0/w610-h584-no/JFK+carries+Caroline+aboard+H.jpg
Here a close-up of JFK (carrying baby Caroline) boarding a VH-34 and which image clearly depicts the four nitrogen bottles used to inflate the floats (Photo: The John F. Kennedy Memorial Library)

Back to the US Army and 'Army One':

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5SXwgmJx9qc/UotiYek_t0I/AAAAAAAAPcU/urmOK0yN81U/w502-h556-no/VH-34+stowed.png
CH-34 (re-named VH-34 for Presidential flying duties) of the US Army's Executive Flight Detachment showing the 'circlet-style' floats in the stowed position

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MT7Qe3Jbb48/UotiZ6coVII/AAAAAAAAPcs/akxW7MG2XEI/w737-h536-no/VH-34+inflated.png
US Army VH-34 displaying the 'circlet-style' floats fully inflated

Here, some additional US Army nostalgia; a note from the Commander of the Army's Executive Flight Detachment (Lt Col Robert G. Shain) documenting President Ford's final flight aboard Army One.

The letter reads:

President Ford made the last flight on Army One. At the completion of the flight on the White House lawn, the President asked me to convey to every member of the Executive Flight Detachment his sincere appreciation for your long and faithful service to the White House and to him personally.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/10943698666_10d7803d61_c.jpg

[SASless]

The Hubcap version were installed the Bristow Wessex and S-58T's.

One account I heard is the seawater had gotten half way up the Pilot's Windscreen, prompting the thought the floats had not inflated....and one very deep intake of Air being made....when the sound of rushing "air" and some wobbling of the aircraft occurred before the cockpit slowly ascended to a more satisfactory height above the water.

Seems to remember we had an Arm Switch and water activated switches that actually inflated the Floats.

Unlike the one photo....our aircraft did away with the tail wheel float and used a large float bag inside the tail boom. With the tail boom float bag there was need to limit the altitude of the aircraft as with an increase in altitude....there was a simultaneous increase in the size of the float bag to the point it would jam the Tail Rotor Control cables.....and if such an ascent was continued....serious structural damage could occur before the bag ruptured or was punctured by part of the airframe or tail rotor control system.

[Savoia]

The Hubcap version were installed not the Bristow Wessex and S-58T's.

SAS: Do you mean: "were installed on the Bristow .."

Unlike the one photo....our aircraft did away with the tail wheel float and used a large float bag inside the tail boom. With the tail boom float bag there was need to limit the altitude of the aircraft as with an increase in altitude....there was a simultaneous increase in the size of the float bag to the point it would jam the Tail Rotor Control cables.....and if such an ascent was continued....serious structural damage could occur before the bag ruptured or was punctured by part of the airframe or tail rotor control system.

Nice one! :ok: :eek:

[SASless]

OOPs! Old Eyes! Yes ....installed on!


Don't ask how I found out about the binding of the Tail Rotor Cables?:rolleyes:

[Savoia]

Old eyes .. but I imagine wise eyes! :ok:

Don't ask how I found out about the binding of the Tail Rotor Cables?

One can but only imagine!

Check-out the inflated 'hubcap' floats (below) in comparison to the 'circlet-style' (above). Not quite as much surface area with the hubcap variant from what I can see.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_RtUdiI_Co8/UouQKv8bJFI/AAAAAAAAPdA/MUXWmzbfuCs/w899-h538-no/Wessex.png
Westland Wessex HAS Mk III returns to HMS Osprey/RNAS Portland with wheel-floats inflated